Intravaginal urinal



'Jan. 7, 1964 L. A. TERMAN INTRAVAGINAL URINAL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJune '7. 1961 J. m I u q 1964 1.. A. TERMAN INTRAVAGINAL URINAL 2Sheets-Sfieet 2 Filed June '7, 1961 INV EN TOR.

United States Patent 3,116,734 INTRAVAGINAL URINAL Louis A. Terman, 110Beach Road, Glencoe, 11!. Filed June 7, 1961, Ser. No. 115,363 7 Claims.(Cl. 128295) This invention relates to an intravaginal urinal adapted tobe fitted to the body of incontinent female patients whether they areambulatory or bedridden.

This application is a continuation-impart of my prior copendingapplication, Serial No. 28,594, filed May 12, 1960, now abandoned, whichwas a continuation-impart of my prior copending application, Serial No.763,258, filed September 25, 1958, now abandoned.

The involuntary flow of urine is extremely embarrassing to any womanhaving such a disability, and heretofore it has been customary to wear apouch-like protective member made of rubber or other waterproof materialadapted to retain the urine until the wearer has an opportunity to cleanherself. Such protective members extend all the way across the patien-tsbody between her legs, and in addition to bulkiness and discomfort havethe disadvantage that areas that should not be exposed to urine for longperiods, such as surrounding skin areas, rectal orifice, etc., areexpomd to urine. Furthermore the odor emanating from such protectivemembers is offensive to other persons.

The intravaginal urinal of the present invention is designed to conformto the anatomical configuration of a woman and is comfortable, beingeasily fitted to the body. It may be worn either by a bedridden or anambulatory patient. Although the urinal comprises a single structuralunit, it is divided functionally into three parts. The urinal comprisesa front section, a receiving section, and a flexible bag comprising adischarge section. A tubular conduit leads from the discharge section toa receptacle for holding the urine until it can be emptied into atoilet. A secondary reservoir is interposed in the tubular conduitbetween the discharge section and the receptacle.

The front section is provided with straps extending therefrom andadapted to be detachably secured to a belt to hold it in snug surfacecontact with the wearers body forwardly of the urethra. The frontsection may have straps permanently secured thereto, or may haveprojecting tabs to which straps are detachably secured. The straps arepreferably made of flexible rubber to allow for movement of the body.The upper straps cooperate with the lower straps to hold the urinal inplace. The lower straps are positioned to hold the intravaginal portionagainst the vulva so that it cannot be displaced by a cough or strain.

The receiving section is shaped and dimensioned for insertion into thevagina without covering the rectum. The patient may, therefore, defecatewithout removing the urinal. This feature is particularly important incases wherein the wearer has involuntary defecation. The urinal is madeof soft rubber that is incapable of hugging the wall of the vagina byitself. The use of soft rubber is desirable because rubber that is toohard or thick makes pressure areas on the bladder or cervix, withdeleterious effects such as vesico-vaginal fistula or cervicalirritation.

A one-piece wire frame in the form of a spring embedded in the urinalextends along the front section to hold the front section of the urinalagainst the wearers body and along the sides of the receiving section topress the edges of the receiving section against the anterior wall ofthe vagina or the posterior wall of the bladder. The wire framecooperates with the straps to hold the receiving section securely inplace. The spring does not extend all the way to the end of thereceiving section,

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but is spaced therefrom, and the extending portion of soft rubber makesit possible for the receiving section to fit properly within vaginas ofdifferent length. The rresilience of the spring in the lateral directionenables the receiving section to fit properly Within narrow or widevaginas.

The receiving section is in the form of a trough having its entire topopen and having a transverse curvature of more than This curvatureenables the receiving section to fit snugly against the wearers bodyunder the lower end of the urethra whether the wearer is lying on herback or side, or is ambulatory. The depth of the trough eliminates anypossibility of urine leaking between the upper ed-ge of the urinal andthe wearers body.

The flexible bag has an open top, and its side walls convenge toward theopposite end. A discharge opening is provided at the smaller end of thebag. The lower portion of the bag is so contoured as to provide for acontinuous downward flow of urine discharged into the receiving troughfrom the trough to the discharge opening, whether the wearer is lying orstanding. The sides of the one-piece wire frame embedded in the upperedge portion of the receiving section may be pressed toward each other,but cannot normally be pressed into abutting engagement to completelyclose the top of the receiving trough because of the lateral pullexerted against the upper edge portions of the receiving trough by thelower straps, when said lower straps are secured in position on thewearers body. The trough is always open for the reception of urine,regardless of whether the woman wearing the urinal is lying or standing.

A flexible conduit leads from the discharge opening to a suitablereceptacle. The conduit includes a flexible tube connected to thedischarge opening, a secondary reservoir connected to the tube, a secondtube extending from the reservoir, and a suitable receptacle detachablysecured to the other end of the second tube. The receptacle is removedfrom the end of the tube when it is to be emptied into a toilet, and maybe replaced without ditliculty. No opening, other than the one by whichthe receptacle is secured to the end of the tube, is provided in thereceptacle. A tight fit is provided between the end of the tube and thesingle opening in the receptacle to prevent leakage and also to preventthe escape of offensive odors from the urine collected in thereceptacle. The capacity of the receptacle is large enough to receiveurine without overflowing.

The secondary reservoir is provided to hold the urine in the event thatthe tubular conduit becomes temporarily blocked, as for instance, by akink in the tube. The reservoir may have a cross section of anynoncircular configuration, but preferably has a substantiallyrectangular cross section, with the wall adapted to be positionedagainst the surface of the wearers leg curved slightly to conformgenerally to the transverse curvature of the leg. The noncircular crosssection is desirable in order to prevent rotation or twisting of thereservoir. The inlet opening of the reservoir is preferably providedwith suitable valve means to prevent backfiow.

The urinal eliminates the need for any bulky pad and is very compact.When the urinal is worn, it is not noticeable through the clothing ofthe wearer because of its compactness and its close fit against the bodyof the wearer.

The structure by means of which the above mentioned and other advantagesof the invention are attained will be described in the followingspecification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an intravaginal urinal embodying theinvention;

' FIG. 2. is a cross sectional View, taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the receiving trough, taken alongthe line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the flexible bag, taken along line4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the urinal being worn by anambulatory patient;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view showing how the urinal fits theanatomical configuration of an ambulatory patient;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view showing how the urinal fits a bedriddenpatient;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. 1, showing anotherembodiment of the urinal;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view showing how the urinal and thesecondary reservoir fit a bedridden patient;

FIG. 10 is a side view, partly in section and partly in elevation,showing the secondary reservoir and its inlet and outlet openings; and

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line 11-11 of FIG. 9.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an intravaginal urinalcomprising an integral body 2 that may be made of latex or any suitableflexible rubber or plastic material that can be washed and is imperviousto urine. The body of the urinal comprises a front section 3, areceiving section 4 and a flexible bag 5. The front section is adaptedto fit against the wearers body forwardly of the urethra 6 with theedges of said front section provid ing a snug surface contact with thebody.

Receiving section 4 has its longitudinally extending intermediateportion depending below its longitudinal edges to form a trough 7 havingits entire top open. Trough 7 is so shaped and dimensioned that it maybe inserted into vagina 8 without discomfort, and in such position willextend below the lower end of the urethra to receive the urine wheneverit is discharged. The entering end 9 of trough '7 is closed in the formof a deep spoon that presses against the anterior wall of the vagina toprovide added security for the urinal. The receiving section ispreferably reinforced by means of a one-piece wire frame in the form ofa spring embedded in the rubber and generally conforming to the shape ofthe upper edge of the trough.

The forward end of trough 7 and the lower end of front section 3 bothmerge into the upper edges of the flexible bag 5. The upper edge oftrough 7 forwardly of the vagina, and the upper edge 11 of the flexiblebag extending between the forward end of the trough and the lower end offront section 3 fit snugly against the wearers body to prevent anyleakage of urine through the joint between the urinal and the wearersbody. The transverse curvature of the trough is more than 180 to insurea snug fit of the upper edge of the trough against the wearers bodyregardless of whether the wearer is lying or standing. The depth of thetrough and the shape of the urinal insures prompt removal of thedischarged urine into the receptacle without unnecessary contact of theurine with surrounding skin areas, thus avoiding skin irritation andeliminating an necessity for frequent changes of underwear. The upperedge of the flexible bag and the front section extending upwardly fromthe flexible bag are shaped to conform to the vertical curvature of awomans body forwardly of the urethra.

The rear wall of the flexible bag extends downwardly at an angle ofapproximately 120 from the receiving section. This angular relationshipbetween the receiving section and the rear wall of the flexible bag iscritical within a few degrees because it provides a continuous"downwardly extending passageway for all urine dropping into thereceiving trough 7 when the receiving section is positioned in thevagina, regardless of whether the wearer is lying or standing. Theangular relationship between the receiving section and the rear wall ofthe flexible bag also causes all portions of the rear wall of theflexible bag to be disposed at a lower level than the open end of theurethra, whether the wearer is lying or standing.

The walls of the trough and the flexible bag are smooth, and are shapedto eliminate any possibility of forming pockets in which urine maycollect.

The lower end of flexible bag 5 has a discharge opening 12 extendingthrough its lower end. The end of the flexible bag contiguous to thedischarge opening is preferably curved forwardly, as indicated at 12',so that it will lie parallel to the bed of a bedridden wearer. Aflexible tube 13 has one end secured to the discharge opening. Theforward curvature of discharge opening 12 makes it easier for tube 13 tolie on the bed when the urinal is worn in lying position. Tube 13 may besecured to the discharge opening in any suitable manner, but ispreferably permanently secured thereto. A receptacle 14 is detachablysecured to the other end of the flexible tube. Receptacle 14- iscompletely closed except for the single opening by which it is securedto tube 13. The detachable securement of receptacle 14- to tube 13permits the receptacle to be readily removed and replaced so that it maybe emptied into any convenient toilet. The receptacle may also be washedto remove offensive odors.

in ambulatory cases, receptacle 14 is preferably held against the innerside of the wearers leg by a suitable strap 15. In such cases thereceptacle is preferably flat, because a flat receptacle will notinterfere with the wearers normal walk, and also because it is notconspicuous when it is secured against the inner side of the leg. Incases where the urinal is worn by a bedridden patent, the receptacle maystand on the floor or may be secured to the bed. In either case thereceptacle is provided with a narrow neck, and the tube secured to saidneck provides an effective closure that prevents escape of offensiveodors from the receptacle.

The urinal is preferably provided with a pair of upper straps 16extending upwardly from the outer top edges of front section 3 and asecond pair of lower straps 17 extending outwardly from the upper edgeof the flexible bag 5. The straps may be integral with the urinal, ormay be secured thereto in any suitable manner. The straps are preferablydetachably secured at their free ends to a belt 18 extending around thewaist of the wearer. It will be understood that any desirable straparrangement may be used. The straps cooperate with the receiving sectionto hold the urinal against the wearers body and to provide a snugsurface contact completely surrounding the lower end of the urethrawithout obstructing the retcal orifice. The absence of any covering overthe rectal orifice makes it unnecessary to remove the urinal every timethe wearer has to defecate.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7 of thedrawings, the urinal is provided with a onepiece wire frame 19 extendingaround the outer edges of the front section and the receiving section.In this embodiment, the urinal is preferably made of a doubled sheet oflatex of any suitable flexible rubber or plastic material having theupper end of the front section open. The frame, comprising a closed loopof light spring wire is preferably coated or dipped in latex to providea cushioning effect so that the wire will not be felt by the wearer. Theframe is inserted through the open upper end of front section 3, and theupper edges of said front section are then bonded or sealed together inany suitable manner to completely enclose frame 19, preferably with aflexible edge 20 projecting beyond the end of the frame.

Frame 19 comprises a front end 21, sides 22 and 23 converging toward therear from the outer edges of said front end, and a rear end 24 joiningsaid sides. The sides of the frame are bent intermediate their ends atan angle of approximately 50 to make the frame conform to the verticalcurvature of a Womans body forwardly of the urethra. The slight rearwardcurvature of the front section 3 causes it to press against the Wearersbody when receiving section 4 is inserted in the vagina. The flexibilityof the wire frame permits the angularity of its sides to change when thereceiving section is inserted if a change in such angularity isnecessary in order for the urinal to fit snugly against the wearers bodybecause of differences in shape of the wearers body. The rear end 2-4 offrame 19 is sufiiciently narrow to permit insertion of the receivingsection -4 into a comparatively narrow vagina without discomfort. Thewire frame may be compressed laterally if it is too wide for the vagina,but the lower straps 17 exert sufiicient lateral pull against the sidesof the trough to prevent the open top of the trough from beingcompletely closed by lateral compression of the wire frame as the troughis inserted into the vagina.

The trough of the receiving section extends under the lower end of theurethra, whether the wearer is bedridden or ambulatory, and extendsdownwardly from the end that enters the. vagina, so that any urinedischarged drops into the trough and flows directly into the flexiblebag. The flexible bag also extends downwardly, with the dischargeopening at its lowermost end, to cause the urine to flow through theflexible bag and the tubular conduit into the receptacle provided forit. The bottom of the trough and the rear wall of the flexible bagextend downwardly in a continuous downwardly extending smooth curve. Thesmoothness of the downward curve prevents the formation of any pocketsthat might hold some of the urine flowing through the trough or theflexible bag.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 11 is similarto the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 7 and the description of identicalstructure will not be repeated.

The wire frame 25 shown in FIG. 8 is spaced from the edges of the trough26 to provide a marginal extension 27 of soft rubber at each side of thetrough and a marginal extension 28 extending rearwardly of the rear end29 of the wire frame. The wire frame is resilient and may be easilycompressed by the parts of the wearers body contacting the adjacentportions of the trough to provide a snug fit, without exerting enoughpressure against the walls of the vagina to cause irritation. If thevagina is too short to receive the trough, the marginal extension 28 atthe entering end of the trough is pushed back toward the end 29 of thewire frame. If the vagina is longer than the portion of the wire frameembedded in the trough, the wire frame will provide suflicientreinforcement for the trough to enter far enough to insure properoperation of the urinal, and, as seen in FIG. 9, the marginal extension28 abuts against the anterior wall of the vagina to provide additionalsecurity against leakage over the upper edge of the urinal. Theflexibility of the wire frame permits the trough to contact the lateralwalls of the vagina as well as the anterior walls thereof.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 to 11 a secondary reservoir 30 isinterposed between discharge opening 12 and the tube 13 which leads tothe receptacle 14. The reservoir 30 may have a cross section of anydesired noncircular configuration, but the preferred cross section issubstantially rectangular with a slight curvature on one side, asindicated at 31, to facilitate fitting the reservoir in engagement withthe wearers leg. The reservoir is secured to the wearers leg by a strap32. The reservoir is a safety feature, the main purpose of which is toprevent backflow of urine in the event that receptacle 14 is completelyfilled or tube 13 is kinked and prevents flow of urine into thereceptacle.

Reservoir 30 has an opening 33 at one end and an opening 34 at itsopposite end. Openings 33 and 34 are preferably offset and the reservoiris arranged with the inlet, opening 33 in FIG. 10, at a higher levelthan the outlet, to prevent backflow. The offset arrangement of theinlet and outlet openings enables the urine discharged into trough 26 toflow directly from discharge opening 12 through reservoir 30 and intotube 13, whenever the flow passageway is not blocked, regardless ofwhether the woman wearing the urinal is standing or lying. Thereceptacle 39 can always be arranged to provide for downward flow fromthe inlet opening 33 to the outlet opening 34. Tubular extensions 35 and36, extending out Wardly from openings 33 and 34, respectively,facilitate securement of the reservoir to discharge opening 12 and tube13. A flutter valve 37 secured within discharge opening 12 andprojecting outwardly from the discharge opening extends through tubularextension 35 and opening 33 into the reservoir. The end of dischargeopening 12 is secured to extension 35 by any suitable clamp or strap 38.A similar clamp or strap 39 secures tube 13 to extension 36.

Although I have described two preferred embodiments of the invention inconsiderable detail, it will be understood that the description isintended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as many detailsmay be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to theexact structure described.

I claim:

1. A urinal adapted to be worn by a woman, said urinal comprising aflexible bag and a receiving section, the lower edge of said receivingsection merging with the upper edge of said bag, said flexible baghaving a discharge opening in its bottom, a resilient frame embedded inthe longitudinal edge portions of said receiving section, said receivingsection and embedded frame extending into the wearers vagina, saidreceiving section comprising a trough having its entire top open, saidtrough extending under the lower end of the urethra, strap meansextending from said urinal and holding the urinal in sealing engagernentwith the wearers body along a line surrounding the lower end of theurethra, whereby urine discharged through the urethra flows through saidtrough, flexible bag and discharge opening.

2. A urinal adapted to be worn by a woman, said urinal comprising afront section, a receiving section, and a flexible bag, a resilientframe having a portion thereof embedded in said front section and aportion thereof embedded in said receiving section, the portion of saidframe embedded in said front section being shaped to conform to thevertical curvature of a womans body forwardly of the urethra and adaptedto press said front section against the wearers body, said receivingsection comprising a trough having its entire top open, said troughfitting into the vagina and extending below the lower end of theurethra, said trough being inclined downwardly and merging into theupper end of said flexible bag, said flexible bag having a dischargeopening at its lower end.

3. In a urinal adapted to be worn by a woman, a receiving sectionadapted to extend into the vagina, said receiving section being in theform of a trough having its entire top open, and a resilient frameembedded in the walls of said trough, said frame being spaced from theedges of said trough to enable said trough to fit within vaginas ofdifferent sizes, said trough engaging the anterior wall of the vagina tohelp hold said urinal in place.

4. In a urinal adapted to be worn by a woman, a receiving sectionadapted to fit into the wearers vagina with one end below the lower endof the urethra whether the wearer is standing or lying, said receivingsection having its entire top open, a resilient frame embedded in thewalls of said receiving section, said frame being compressible laterallyto enable said receiving section to fit in vaginas of different widths,and a pair of straps secured to said urinal to help secure said urinalin position on a womans body, said straps being so positioned relativeto said receiving section as to exert a lateral pull on said receivingsection when said straps are secured to a support above said urinal,said lateral pull preventing complete closing of the top of saidreceiving section.

5. In a urinal adapted to be worn by a woman, a receiving sectionadapted for insertion into the wearers vagina, said receiving sectionbeing adapted to extend under the lower end of the urethra and leave therectal orifice unobstructed when it is inserted into the vagina, and aresilient frame embedded in the walls of said receiving section, saidframe being spaced from the outer edges of said receiving section toenable said receiving section to fit in vaginas of different sizes.

6. A urinal adapted to be worn by a woman, said urinal comprising aframe having a coiled wire core shaped to fit against the surface of awomans body surrounding the lower end of the urethra while leaving therectal orifice unobstructed, said frame having a portion thereof adaptedto extend into the vagina, a strap secured to said frame and extendingaround the body of the wearer to hold said frame in said position, aflexible bag depending from said frame, said frame being completelyembedded in the material of the bag adjacent the upper edge portions ofsaid bag, said bag having an opening in its bottom, and a receptacleconnected to said bag in alignment with said opening.

7. In a urinal adapted to be worn by a woman, a flexible frame shaped tofiit against the surface of a womans body surrounding the lower end ofthe urethra, said frame comprising a front section, a pair of sidesections extending rearwardly from opposite ends of said front section,and a rear section connecting the rear ends of said side sections, saidrear section being adapted to extend into the vagina, a strap secured tosaid side sections and adapted to cooperate with said rear section toform a flexible seal extending continuously around the lower end of theurethra and leaving the rectal orifice unobstracted whether the weareris lying or is in upright position, a flexible bag depending from saidframe, said bag having an opening in its bottom, a tube connected tosaid bag in alignment with said opening, and a receptacle detachablysecured to said tube, whereby urine discharged through the urethra iscollected in said receptacle.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS660,388 Moberg et al Oct. 23, 1900 2,483,079 Williams Sept. 27, 19492,640,484 Johnson June 2, 1953 2,648,335 Chambers Aug. 11, 19532,840,079 Conway et al June 24, 1958 2,844,147 Beacham July 22, 19582,893,678 Homan et a1. July 7, 1959 2,989,052 Broman June 20, 19613,072,125 OBrien Ian. 8, 1963 FOREIGN PATENTS 378,760 France Oct. 16,1907 100,854 Germany Jan. 13, 1899

1. A URINAL ADAPTED TO BE WORN BY A WOMAN, SAID URINAL COMPRISING AFLEXIBLE BAG AND A RECEIVING SECTION, THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID RECEIVINGSECTION MERGING WITH THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID BAG, SAID FLEXIBLE BAGHAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING IN ITS BOTTOM, A RESILIENT FRAME EMBEDDED INTHE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID RECEIVING SECTION, SAID RECEIVINGSECTION AND EMBEDDED FRAME EXTENDING INTO THE WEARER''S VAGINA, SAIDRECEIVING SECTION COMPRISING A TROUGH HAVING ITS ENTIRE TOP OPEN, SAIDTROUGH EXTENDING UNDER THE LOWER END OF THE URETHRA, STRAP MEANSEXTENDING FROM SAID URINAL AND HOLDING THE URINAL IN SEALING ENGAGEMENTWITH THE WEARER''S BODY ALONG A LINE SURROUNDING THE LOWER END OF THEURETHRA, WHEREBY URINE DISCHARGED THROUGH THE URETHRA FLOWS THROUGH SAIDTROUGH, FLEXIBLE BAG AND DISCHARGE OPENING.